QUATRIKA
by Kiira-san
Summary: The 'Ancient Enemy' Was defeated fifteen years ago. Now it has a new motive and a new servant...Chapter 2 finally up.
1. I think he's hurt

Quatrika

_ You have failed me. I had welcomed you into my circle, given you my powers in order to take control of the Others. I had faith in you. I thought that you would be able to destroy the Abomination and turn the Others into slaves. Instead you killed potential allies and only managed to recruit one of the Others. Then you become so weak... you let them destroy you! I have given you so many chances. I will not make such a foolish decision ever again! You have died before and I have brought you back in hopes that you would be able to prove me wrong in my assumption that you are worthless. _

_ However, I have decided to give you another try. You have another chance at life; at glory; at power and leadership. This time, I have made it impossible for you to fail. I will join you - recreate you - so that your bodies and minds are as one. You will then go into the Others new world. You will know nothing of your past failures or accomplishments. You will have only one thought as I revive you in a world you were born to conquer. _

_ Fulfill your destiny._

Pain and questions shot through his head. He curled into himself with a low moan. he didn't know why he was here, or how he was here, but he was and he had to make the best of it.

He sat up and tried to take in his surroundings, spots dancing in front of his eyes. Lush green fields surrounded him on all sides. He had been lying under a huge tree, and if he stuck out his legs, his feet would just graze a fast-moving river.

"Who am I?" he said to the green and blue world.

He was so completely lost...

Sobs racked his body until he couldn't breathe. He soon returned to blessed unconsciousness.

Jobs and Sanchez marched diligently, leading the hunting party. They were on their way back from their expedition, the five men and two women carrying three of the horned bröjka; enough food to last the whole colony for six twenty-fours.

"Jobs?" Chameleon separated from the following pack and walked beside his brother. Even though his mutation had faded soon after Terra Nova had been created, he still wished to be called Chameleon. Besides, it was hard to impress upon the marauders that he was no longer deserving of the title.

"Jobs?"

"Hmm?"

"Can we stop? Me and Grost - I think I twisted my ankle. Besides, there's that river nearby - everyone can get a drink."

"Raenen?"

Jobs had a habit of naming landmarks like rivers and lakes. A useless one, really, inspired by the poet in him. It didn't help anyone, and when the names occasionally found their way into a conversation, the other person would give him an odd look before continuing their piece.

"What?" Chameleon's puzzled expression - typical.

"Nothing. Sure."

"So it's okay?"

"Yeah."

Chameleon turned towards the rest and shouted; "Rest stop! We have a river about three sixties ahead! If we hurry, we can make it in two!"

Sanchez grinned. "Hey! That's my line!"

Chameleon bent near the water, drawing some into his hands to scoop into his mouth. This was one good thing about Terra Nova. The water didn't need to be processed before it was drunk. It was perfect and straight from the source.

A hand fell squarely on his shoulder and tightened around his woven shirt. He braced himself against the bank to avoid toppling into the icy stream.

"Grost!" He shouted, "You startled me!" He noticed the worried expression on her face.

"Are you alright? What's wrong?"

"A boy."The frightened girl whispered the words. "I think he's hurt."

_ "_What do you think we should do?"

"I want to go back."She sighed before continuing; "Will you come with me?"

"Yeah. Sure..." Chameleon rose from his knees.

"There he is."

Chameleon saw the frail form curled against the trunk of a tree. Dark hair shadowed a pale face and fine features.

"I don't think we should move him."

"Why not?"

"Well…he could have broken something really bad, and if we move him it might kill him so…"

Grost gave him a suddenly stony look.

"If we move him he will die, and if we don't move him, he will still die. Which method would you rather condemn him to? If we take him with us, he will at least have a chance."

Chameleon blinked and shrugged before he and Grost hefted the boy between them. Personally, he thought that she had been spending way too much time around Sanchez.

_ He's getting there._

_ This is almost too easy. They are taking him right to their living quarters. He doesn't even have to try to convince them to let him live with them. Now, it's only a matter of time before the Others and their children become slaves to use at my disposal. _


	2. It's not fair!

"Where am I?"

Lumina stared almost intently at the boy that her uncle had found during the recent hunting trip. He couldn't have been much older than her - maybe only sixteen three-sixty-fives - but he _seemed _older and more mature than any of the other children she knew.

It wasn't often that a new person visited their camp - actually it had never happened. After what her father called the 'ReGreening', there had been no other people found.

It frightened her sometimes - that less than thirty people might be the only humans on the planet. She could count the number of families with children on one hand! But if they were the only people on the planet, where had this boy come from?

"Oh!"

She had only just noticed that he was awake - how long?

He was staring at her - did he just ask a question?

"Where am I?"

"Ummm..." Lumina spread her arms wide, gesturing to the room, the land, the entire planet. To his puzzled gaze she said -

"Here! Just... here. We don't really have a name for this planet - this _place_. Some call it 'Earth' 'cuz that's what it's made of - some call it 'Green' 'cuz that's what it looks like."

"What do you call it?"

"Home."

His lips twitched into a gentle smile.

--Q--U--A--T--R--I--K--A--

"Jobs."

He looked up from one of the maps he was drawing. It wasn't like they needed them... everyone knew where everything was but a hobby's a hobby...

"Sanchez? What are you doing here?"

"It's... It's not safe."

"What? What are you talking about?"

"Not safe... the enemy..."

"I'm gonna go get Violet. Are you alright?"

"The _Ancient Enemy_..."

"What do you mean...? How can you know about that? tell me... How can you-?"

"...Is among us..."

Jobs peered intently at Sanchez. Suddenly, he knew what to do.

--Q--U--A--T--R--I--K--A--

"Jobs! He's just a kid, okay!"

"We don't even know where he comes from! He could be a Savage or an enemy Alpha - Newton or someone could've sent him - "

"Newton? He was probably _dead _a long time ago!"

"He could be one of _them _- he could be Duncan. We've never seen him before!"

"If he _was_ Duncan, he'd be older than _you_! He'd have... _evolved_ or something past human recognition!"

"Why are you so _opinionated_ about this?"

Icy blue eyes met brown ones.

"Have you talked to Lumina lately?"

"What?"

"She told me about how he didn't know anything about his past life at all, but he could still appreciate the beauty of this world. Then she started telling me how beautiful his eyes were..."

He sighed.

"She really likes him, Jobs. And besides... all the other boys are younger than her, _way _older or related.."

"That's no excuse! What if he's dangerous?"

"What if he's not and you banish him anyway?"

"But _Lumina_ - "

"What _about_ Lumina?"

"It just seems like I'm the only one she can confide in. I don't want to let her down."

"So it's about _you_ now."

"No! Jobs, I - "

"Well _you _can tell her that _he _can't stay here."

"Forget it. I'm not gonna be your messenger."

"Well _someone's_ got to tell her. It may as well be you."

"Who made you the boss anyway? She's not my kid. I'm not gonna hurt her for you."

--Q--U--A--T--R--I--K--A--

_The Ancient Enemy is among us_

"I am the Ancient Enemy..."

_The Ancient Enemy is among us_

"I am the Ancient Enemy...The Ancient Enemy is-"

His eyes snapped open and he almost shouted;

"Lumina!"

Her face was flushed. She looked upset, brow furrowed and eyes clouded.

"Are you alright? What's wrong?"

She stared at him for a while. Without a word she approached him; She sat on the next to him on the bed and let out a shuddery sob.

"Dad says you have to leave."

"What?"

"He's giving you three twenty-fours to heal, and then you have to leave."

An awkward silence suffocated them. Then -

"It's not fair!"

Lumina rose quickly from the bed and the boy recoiled, startled.

"I mean, one day... I never even got to know you! I didn't even ask you your name! I'm so stupid! I mean..."

She stopped, standing in the middle of the floor. She suddenly felt very alone.

"You're special. I've never met anyone like you before... I don't want to lose you so fast..."

"Arlan."

She looked up at him, a puzzled expression framing teary eyes.

"What?"

"That's my name. Arlan."

--Q--U--A--T--R--I--K--A--

_Three days?_

_Yes._

_Three days is more than enough time._

_I agree._

_You have already earned the trust of one of the Others. Perhaps... this may determine your.. success..._

_Possibly. Heh... probably._

_Assuredly._

**_Definitely._**

_And... you will not betray me?_

_Hmmm..._

_I brought you to life! I created you from the three that had failed me before! It is my doing that you exist! You will **NOT** betray me!_

_Be calm! I was merely jesting! Of course I will remain faithful... I owe you... my existence._

_Good. As long as we work together, we will succeed in our task._

_Good._

_Good._

--Q--U--A--T--R--I--K--A--

"Father, please! You don't understand! He's a good person!"

"He may seem like a good person, but you don't know - "

"Even if - even if he was bad before, he's not now... He doesn't remember anything about his life, dad! He won't - He can't..."

"_We_ can't risk it!"

"He's lost, He's alone, he's got no place to go... He won't be able to fend for himself if we just send him off! He'll get hurt again, he'll be killed... You'll go off on one of your hunting trips and you'll find him bleeding to death or already dead... What can he do? He's just one person, Dad... what's the worst he can do?"

"He's already got _you _talking back and yelling at your own father! You shouldn't be questioning me!"

Her emotional face turned suddenly stony, and she lifted a defiant chin.

"If _that's _how you feel about it..."

She gave a curt nod, as if obeying an unheard command.

"I won't question you, or talk back... _I won't talk to you at all!"_

"Lumina..."

She turned and stalked off, ignoring him.

_"Lumina!"_


End file.
